HUD Secretary, Ben Carson, is seeking an investigation of online companies that sell sham assistance animal (ESA) documentation. Below is a link to the letter sent by Secretary Carson to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joseph J. Simons and the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection Andrew Smith in which his concerns regarding this fraudulent behavior is laid out. We recommend landlords, property managers, and realtors read this letter.
https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/Main/documents/11_06_2019_Letter.pdf
While we wait for future developments in this area of the law, rental housing providers should continue to honor reasonable accommodation requests while still maintaining their right to request reliable documentation pertaining to these requests. Our Firm will keep you apprised of any changes as they occur.